Japan Music

Classical and theatrical music
Classical music can be segmented into gagaku (court orchestral music) and shomyo (Buddhist chanting). Gagaku came from China 1500 years ago as Confucian ceremonial music of the Chinese court.

Ancient Roots
The first significant development in the history of Japanese music took place in the Heian Period (794-1192 A.D), While Japanese music which had been popular among common people was being sophisticated.

Traditional Instruments
Shakuhachi: The Shakuhachi is a traditional Japanese end-blown bamboo flute. The Shakuhachi's history is steeped in myth and lore of Samurai warriors turned Bhuddist monks.

Min'yo - folk music
The term for regional music or folk songs is min'yo. Farmers planting their rice crops, fishermen pulling in their nets and lullabies are constant themes. Modern folk songs often refer to nostalgic references to these ways of life.

Developing modern styles
The term for regional music or folk songs is min'yo. Farmers planting their rice crops, fishermen pulling in their nets and lullabies are constant themes. Modern folk songs often refer to nostalgic references to these ways of life.

Postwar pop
After the famine and devastation that followed the end of World War II, people turned for solace to songs like the influential 1945 hit Ringo No Uta (The Apple Song), sung by Namiki Michiko and Kirishima Noburo.

Enka - Japan's soul music
Enka was Japanese popular music before and following WW2. Nowadays, enka music is most popular among the older generations. Many enka songs deal with topics such as unlucky love and nostalgia. Enka singers, especially women, usually perform wearing a kimono.

Japanese Rock
Psychedelic rock was invented in the 1960s by American and British counterculture figures. Arriving in Japan, psychedelic rock took on a different flavour. Previously known for the drug intake of its performers leaving an impact on the hazy.

The Roots Boom
In the late 1980s, roots bands like Shang Shang Typhoon and The Boom became popular. Okinawan roots bands like Nenes and Kina were also commercially and critically successful. This led to the second wave of Okinawan music, led by the sudden success of Rinkenband.